Chelmsford Beat Second Place Hadleigh to Extend Lead at the Top of Premier Division!

On Saturday 19th June, league leaders Chelmsford hosted second place Hadleigh & Thundersley's in a crucial top of the table clash between first and second place. With both teams putting out strong first XI teams, the match was set up to be an interesting one considering the overcast, windy and occasionally wet conditions that Chelmer Park was faced with. Luckily only slight drizzle occurred during the match and the rain that poured over Chelmsford on the Friday was in the past.

The toss was taken at 10:30 am between the two captains and Hadleigh & Thundersley won it and elected to field first at Chelmer Park, with the start of play beginning at 11am.

Chelmsford openers Jack Sterland and Dan Hagen got their side off to a strong start, reaching a score of 30/0 in their first 10 overs, with Hagen playing some expansive shots that rewarded him with some early boundaries. However, the partnership was broken in the 14th over when Hagen was caught out by Luke Smith from the bowling of Adam Dobson, out for 25 runs off 38 balls and Chelmsford at 44/1.

In stepped Nick Prowting to join up with his captain and immediately the pair looked comfortable together as they have done all season. They reached the 20th over on 71/1 and placed Chelmsford in a strong position for the run up to the close of play for lunch. Devastatingly for the home side, Prowting was forced to retire injured in the 24th over after what looked like twisting his leg as he was setting off to run. In stepped the next batsman, James Clifford, with Chelmsford at 81/1 with Prowting's injury.

In the 27th over captain Sterland reached his half century and shortly after, himself and J. Clifford soldiered on to bring Chelmsford up to 100 total runs in the 30th over. But two overs later, Hadleigh would claim their second wicket when J. Clifford was given out LBW from the bowling of H.A.S Zaidi and the batsman was sent walking with 9 runs off 24 balls, Chelmsford on 105/2 after 32 overs.

Jack Cook joined Sterland but the pair only managed 14 runs between them when Sterland was out caught by Darius Vapiwala off the bowling of Samuel Handley on the final ball before lunch. Sterland out for a score of 66 off 129 balls which has placed him at a very good total of 845 runs for the season so far.

The new batsman, Ben Clifford, had to face one ball from Handley at the resumption after lunch but guided one to slip fielder Luke Smith and was out for a duck on his first ball. This meant that Handley was on a hat-trick on his first ball of his next over. Chelmsford 119/4 off 39 overs.

Zaidi followed Handley's double-wicket over with a good maiden and Brad Green was the Chelmsford batsman to face the hat-trick ball. The spinner walked in off a few paces, turned one into the pitch and Green edged it into the hands of Luke Smith. Handley got his hat-trick! Incredible scenes at Chelmer Park as the bowler sprints down the wicket with his team-mates chasing after him and attempts a glorious belly slide, only to get stuck into the damp outfield and ultimately fall flat on his chest. Brilliant spell of bowling from Hadleigh's Handley!

Oliver Devenish joined J. Cook but the pair didn't last long together as Devenish was given out LBW from Handley's bowling without scoring. Chelmsford at 121/6 from 43 overs. Two overs later, Handley claimed yet another wicket, this time J. Cook with an LBW- scoring 9 runs off 43 balls. Liam Keaney and Ben Waring were now at the crease but didn't add much to the score when Keaney was out for 0 in the 49th over and Waring was out for 1 run in the 50th over. So Chelmsford finished on 123 from 49.3 overs as Prowting was unable to join Andy Styan at the crease due to the severity of his injury.

Hadleigh's innings got off to the worst of starts when Hagen caught Paul Tibbenham out off the bowling of Styan in the 2nd over and the visitors at 4/1. Tibbenham with a demonstration of how to be a contender for the slowest walk off of the season. Handley joined Vapiwala but didn't stay long as he was caught by Waring from the bowling of J. Clifford in the 10th over, departing the field with 5 runs off 26 balls and Hadeligh at 20/2. In the next over, Waring would claim a wicket-maiden when B. Clifford sharply caught opener Vapiwala (7 off 35).

In the 15th over Hadleigh reached 47/3 after an acceleration of runs from the away side which included a few boundaries in hope of swinging the momentum their way. But in the over that followed, J. Clifford picked up two wickets, firstly bowling Adam Forbes out for a duck and secondly claiming Oliver Smith's wicket through a superb catch at short leg from J. Cook under the helmet. Which was brilliantly celebrated by his teammates- showcasing their praise for the 20 year-old after being rewarded in fielding in one of the toughest positions on the field. Hadleigh at 49/5 after 16 overs.

Jack Wagstaff and Luke Smith were the pair at the crease for the visitors but they only put on an 11-run partnership when Devenish caught Wagstaff out with a great reflex catch in the slip cordon off the bowling of Waring in the 21st over. J. Clifford followed up in the next over with another wicket, getting L. Smith out after he played the ball into the hands of Waring; the batsman furious with himself and flinging the bat down the crease. A crucial wicket as L. Smith looked set and comfortable on 31 runs off 27 balls. J. Clifford claimed his fifer with a wicket in the 24th over which had Hadleigh at 71/8 after Richard Revell swept one hard into the air and a superb knee-sliding catch from Styan on the boundary saw the batsman depart the field with 7 runs off 9 balls.

In the next over, the 25th of Hadleigh's innings, Waring claimed a wicket-maiden (his second of the day) when he had Adam Dobson chipping one up to J. Clifford at mid-wicket. Dobson out for a duck; not the only one, plenty of others! Waring then wrapped things up when Green stumped Zaidi out from the spinner's bowling in the 27th over and Hadleigh finished on 75 all out.

This win for Chelmsford means that they are now ten points clear at the top of the league with 125 points, Hornchurch move up to second place and Hadleigh & Thundersley drop down to fourth place on 94 points. Chelmsford are away next week to third place Wanstead in what could be again another crucial game to determine the outcome of the season.